"WHY CAN'T I JUST EAT MY WAFFLE?"

Why Won't Obama Just Answer Tough Questions AskedBy The Media?______________________________________________________________________ Today, Obama Continued To Dodge Questions From The Media, Responding That He Just Wanted To Eat His Waffle:

When Asked A Question On Foreign Policy, Obama Dodged The Question And Asked, "Why Can't I Just Eat My Waffle?" "Chomping down on sausage and waffles at Glider's Diner in Scranton today, with his Pennsylvania BFF (Sen. Bob Casey) at his side, Obama avoided commenting on former President Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas. Asked by a reporter if he had heard that Carter reported a positive outcome from the meeting, Obama looked sternly at the reporter in question and said, 'Why can't I just eat my waffle?'" (Aswini Anburajan, "'Just Let Me Eat My Waffle'," NBC News' "First Read" Blog, firstread.msnbc.msn.com, 4/21/08)

Last Week, Obama Complained About How ABC Asked Debate Questions:"[O]bama Took Issue With ABC News' Conduct During Last Night's Debate, And Used It To Link Clinton To Traditional Political Tactics." (Ben Smith, "Obama On Debate: 'Sen. Clinton Looked In Her Element,'" The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, 4/17/08)Obama: "I think last night we set a new record because it took us 45 minutes before we even started talking about a single issue that matters to the American people." (Ben Smith, "Obama On Debate: 'Sen. Clinton Looked In Her Element,'" The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, 4/17/08)

Obama: "It took us 45 minutes -- 45 minutes before we heard about health care, 45 minutes before we heard about Iraq, 45 minutes before we heard about jobs, 45 minutes before we heard about gas prices." (Ben Smith, "Obama On Debate: 'Sen. Clinton Looked In Her Element,'" The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, 4/17/08)

In March, Obama Appeared Upset After Having To Answer Eight Questions At A Press Conference

:"An Exasperated Barack Obama Scurried Away ... From The Toughest News Conference Of His Campaign, Telling Reporters Who Kept Shouting Questions That He'd Spent Enough Time On The Grill." (Michael Saul, "Angry Barack Obama Bombarded By Media," [New York] Daily News, 3/4/08)"'Come On! I Just Answered, Like, Eight Questions,' Obama, Looking Surprised, Told Shouting Reporters As He Fled The Room. 'We're Running Late.'" (Michael Saul, "Angry Barack Obama Bombarded By Media," [New York] Daily News, 3/4/08)

Recent Behavior Of Dodging And Complaining About The Media Follows A Pattern Of Obama's Campaign:Obama "Already Has A Bubble Around Him." "I stopped by the hotel where they are congregating to catch a Thursday night preview with Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who is officially announcing his candidacy this week. But it turns out that Obama, riding an astonishing wave of glowing publicity for a candidate 21 months from an election, already has a bubble around him..." (Mike Allen, "For Obama, No News Is Good News," The Politico, 2/2/07)

Obama: "You Can Walk With Me. That Doesn't Mean You Can Ask Questions." "As Obama left the hotel reception, smiling and saying, 'Thank you AGAIN,' I introduced myself and said, 'Good evening, Senator, may I walk with you?' He replied, 'You can walk with me. That doesn't mean you can ask questions.' I chuckled, thinking he was kidding. 'But you can certainly walk with me,' he added. The Senator then underscored, 'I'm sorry. I'm not answering questions.'" (Mike Allen, "For Obama, No News Is Good News," The Politico, 2/2/07)

Obama: "Absolutely No Questions This Evening." "'Senator, I was just hoping to ask what you want to accomplish this weekend.' [Obama] replied: 'It wouldn't be fair to everybody else. We didn't do a press avail for everybody else. Absolutely no questions this evening.'" (Mike Allen, "For Obama, No News Is Good News," The Politico, 2/2/07)

Obama Took The "Unusual" Step Of Banning Press From A Hotel Reception During The DNC Winter Meetings

. "A flier for DNC members said, 'Senator Barack Obama Cordially invites you to an Evening Reception.' It was held in a medium-sized reception room. Cocktails, sold by the hotel, were $6.75 and domestic beer was a buck less. 'Space is limited, therefore this event is for DNC Members ONLY,' the flier said. 'Members can bring one guest to the event.' The room was jammed and a line snaked onto the promenade as Obama workers checked their lists like it was a nightclub. Reporters were barred - a somewhat unusual, although not unheard of, policy for a meet-and-greet-type event in a public place like a hotel." (Mike Allen, "For Obama, No News Is Good News," The Politico, 2/2/07)

Obama Criticized The Media For Claiming He Prioritizes Rhetoric Over Substance.

"Perhaps the most memorable moment came when he needled the press corps about an emerging story line on his candidacy. 'I know that one of the running threads, one of the narratives that has established itself among the mainstream media, is this notion, 'Well, you know, Obama has pretty good style, he can deliver a pretty good speech, but he seems to prioritize rhetoric over substance,' Obama said. 'Now factually, that's incorrect.'" (Anne E. Kornblut and Dan Balz, "Obama Questions Rivals On Iraq," The Washington Post, 2/12/07)

Obama To Press: "The Problem Is That That's Not What You Guys Have Been Reporting On."

"Barack Obama used his first news conference after announcing his run for president to accuse the media of ignoring his substantive record and falsely depicting him as a lightweight. 'The problem's not that the info's not out there,' he said of his record on policy issues. 'The problem is that that's not what you guys have been reporti ng on. You've been reporting on how I look in a swimsuit.'" (Ben Smith, "Obama Casts Peevish Eye On National Media," The Politico, 2/12/07)

PDF Format